Tag: Racing

Santa Anita’s San Simeon Wide-Open Fields Includes Bob And Jackie, Defending Champ Cistron

In what appears to be a completely wide-open affair at six furlongs on turf, classy Bob and Jackie looks to rate a big chance cutting back in distance for Richard Baltas as he faces sharp recent winner Gregorian Chant, defending champ Cistron and Brazilian-bred Jolie Olimpica, who will be facing males for the first time in North America in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 San Simeon Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Second, beaten 3 ¾ lengths as the 2-1 favorite by rising star Hit the Road (who took this past Saturday's Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile) in the G3 Thunder Road Stakes at one mile on turf Feb. 6, Bob and Jackie will be sprinting for the first time since his debut at age two on Oct. 20, 2018, when he was a close second going 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita's hillside turf course.

A three-time minor stakes winner at one mile on grass at ages two, three and four, Bob and Jackie has won four out of his 10 lifetime starts — all in combination with Heriberto Figueroa, who will be replaced on Saturday by Drayden Van Dyke.  Owned by Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran, Bob and Jackie, a 5-year-old horse by Twirling Candy, has ample natural speed and will likely be in close early attendance, despite the fact he's cutting back in distance.  With an overall mark of 10-4-3-1, Bob and Jackie has earnings of $269,551.

Trained by Phil D'Amato, English-bred Gregorian Chant, who was cutting back in distance off of 11 consecutive routes, came roaring from off the pace to register an emphatic 2 1/4-length win in the restricted Clockers' Corner Stakes versus seven rivals at six furlongs on turf Jan. 24 and appears to be a horse who's perhaps found a new niche in partnership with jockey Juan Hernandez.  With the likes of Cistron in the lineup, Gregorian Chant, who is owned by Slam Dunk Racing, Old Bones Racing Stable, LLC and Michael Nentwig, should have a solid pace to run at on Saturday as he seeks his first graded stakes win.

A winner of last year's San Simeon two starts back when it was contested at 5 ½ furlongs on turf, John Sadler's Cistron has been idle since running fifth in the G3 Dayton Stakes at 5 ½ on turf on May 23, 2020.  A G1 winner on dirt, Cistron, a 7-year-old full horse by top sprinter The Factor, will be ridden for the first time by Umberto Rispoli.  With an overall mark of 29-6-7-6 and earnings of $762,719, Cistron should show plenty of early zip off the bench as he seeks his fourth graded stakes victory for Hronis Racing, LLC.

A Group I and Group III stakes winner versus males at age three in her native Brazil, Richard Mandella's Jolie Olimpica will be suiting up against males for the first time in America as Mandella seeks to keep her at six furlongs on turf.  Second, beaten 2 ½ lengths as the even money favorite by Charmaine's Mia (who came back to take the G2 Buena Vista Stakes) in the six furlong turf Las Cienegas Stakes Jan. 9, Jolie Olimpica will be making her second start off of a seven month layoff and should give a good account of herself with regular rider Mike Smith back aboard.  A 5-year-old mare by Drosselmeyer, Jolie Olimpica is owned by Fox Hill Farms, Inc., and has won a pair of graded stakes for Mandella in five stateside starts and she's compiled an overall mark of 8-5-3-0.

GRADE 3 SAN SIMEON WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS
IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

  1. Barristan The Bold—Abel Cedillo—120
  2. Gregorian Chant—Juan Hernandez—122
  3. Bob and Jackie—Drayden Van Dyke—122
  4. Sombeyay—Flavien Prat—120
  5. Cistron—Umberto Rispoli—122
  6. Shashashakemeup—Ricardo Gonzalez—120
  7. Jolie Olimpica—Mike Smith—117
  8. Sparky Ville—Ruben Fuentes—120

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m.  For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE. All of Santa Anita's races are offered free of charge at santaanita.com/live and fans can wager at 1st.com/bet.  For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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After Missing Fountain Of Youth Due To Cough, Prevalence In Gulfstream Allowance Thursday

Godolphin LLC's Prevalence, a brilliant 8 ½-length debut winner, is scheduled to make a highly anticipated return to the races Thursday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The Brendan Walsh trainee will headline a field of six 3-year-olds in an entry-level optional claiming allowance, a one-turn mile event carded as Race 8.

Prevalence debuted on the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) undercard at Gulfstream Jan. 23, brushing with a rival shortly after the start before asserting himself on the backstretch and drawing away under wraps to complete seven furlongs in 1:23.

The Feb. 27 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream had been a goal for the homebred son of Medaglia d'Oro before missing a key workout by a brief illness.

“It was minor, a cough, but that put him out of any consideration for the Fountain of Youth,” Walsh said. “He's worked back since and has worked really well. He worked really good Friday, so we're happy with him. It will be a nice progression tomorrow going a mile from seven-eighths.”

A Kentucky Derby (G1) prep is a next-start possibility, depending on his return to the races Thursday.

“If we do, depending on tomorrow, it would be one of the very last ones, like the Arkansas Derby, the Wood or the Blue Grass,” Walsh said. “But I hate to look any further ahead than tomorrow.”

Tyler Gaffalione has the return mount aboard Prevalence.

David Fawkes-trained Caxambas Candy, who won by 4 ¾ lengths in his Feb. 17 debut in a mile off-the-turf maiden special weight race; and Gail Cox-trained Tio Magico, a son of Uncle Mo who finished second in the Nov. 1 Coronation Futurity at Woodbine last time out; are among Prevalence's rivals.

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Champion Swiss Skydiver Makes 4-Year-Old Debut In Saturday’s Beholder Mile

Last year's Eclipse Champion 3-year-old Filly, Swiss Skydiver arrived at Santa Anita from her Gulfstream Park base on Tuesday and is poised to make her 4-year-old debut as she heads a field of eight older fillies and mares in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita.

Trained by Kenny McPeek and owned by Peter J. Callahan, Swiss Skydiver, who defeated males two starts back in the Grade I Preakness Stakes, has been idle since running seventh at odds of 2-1 in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland Nov. 7.

Other prominent Beholder contenders include Simon Callaghan's multiple graded stakes winning Harvest Moon and Bob Baffert's scintillating recent allowance winner As Time Goes By.

Arguably the most incredible story in American racing last year, Swiss Skydiver, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Daredevil, out of the Johannesburg mare Expo Gold, ran at nine different tracks with six different jockeys in 10 starts from coast to coast, winning five, while running second twice and third once.

With four works on her comeback tab in February, Swiss Skydiver had her final work in preparation for the Beholder Mile this past Saturday at Gulfstream. Although McPeek had hoped for five furlong move in about a minute, she encountered unexpected company and was clocked in 58.09 breezing, best of 39 at the distance.

With all five of her wins coming in graded stakes, Swiss Skydiver was ultra impressive in her lone Santa Anita appearance, going gate to wire while taking the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks by four lengths on June 6 at odds of 3-5. Her first Grade 1 win came in Saratoga's iconic Alabama Stakes on Aug. 15, as she pressed the early pace en route to a resounding 3 ½ length score at even money.

In winning the Preakness Oct. 3, she got the jump on Kentucky Derby winner Authentic and was tenacious late in posting a neck victory over the eventual Breeders' Cup Classic winner and Horse of the Year. Well supported in the Distaff, Swiss Skydiver stumbled at the break and never threatened thereafter, ending the year with 2020 earnings of $1,794,320.

A first-out maiden winner going seven furlongs at age two on Nov. 16, 2019 at Churchill Downs, Swiss Skydiver, who will be ridden for the third consecutive time by Robby Albarado, is 12-6-3-1 overall with total earnings of $1,845,480.

Although a winner of four consecutive races, from her maiden victory on July 3 at Los Alamitos, through her victory here in the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes Sept. 27, Harvest Moon, a 4-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo, was dismissed at 16-1 in the Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 7, but ran a very respectable fourth, beaten 2 ½ lengths, after pressing the pace throughout. Owned by Alice Bamford and Michael B. Tabor, Harvest Moon was bred in Kentucky by Alice Bamford and is out of the Shamardal mare Qaraaba.

A two-time graded stakes winner, Harvest Moon will likely engage Swiss Skydiver early, thus ensuring a lively pace. With four wins from six starts, Harvest Moon has earnings of $340,720.

Heavily favored at odds-on in all four of her starts, As Time Goes By comes off a rollicking nine length one mile allowance win here on Jan. 17, as she pressed the early pace and crushed four rivals under Joel Rosario at 3-5. A four length maiden winner going six furlongs two starts back, As Time Goes By appears to be coming to her best in what will be her first stakes assignment.

A 4-year-old filly by 2015 Triple Crown Champion American Pharoah, As Time Goes By is out of the Dehere mare Take Charge Lady, who was a multiple graded stakes winner earner of more than $2.4 million that coincidentally, was trained by McPeek. Owned by Michael B. Tabor and Mrs. John Magnier, As Time Goes By will be ridden for the first time by Mike Smith.

THE GRADE 1 BEHOLDER MILE WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

  1. Swiss Skydiver – Robby Albarado – 124
  2. Golden Principal – Juan Hernandez – 120
  3. Harvest Moon – Flavien Prat – 122
  4. Sanenus – Umberto Rispoli – 122
  5. Miss Story D – Tyler Baze – 120
  6. As Time Goes By – Mike Smith – 12
  7. This Tea – Abel Cedillo -120
  8. Clockstrikestwelve – Tiago Pereira – 120

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com.

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